Perspective Shifts and the Veil Drops
I recognize that many people I know and respect are on a teeter-totter of dawning realization of the immediacy of global climate changes' impact. On one end, there is denial over the severity of the situation, the immediacy of its threat and the need to respond on a personal and massive scale. Teetering from this place of denial, many swing to full awareness then plunge into being totally overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of the enormity of it all, while thoughtlessly deeming all humanity doomed.
People need to work through this painful stage of awakening and grieving. I empathize with this teeter-totter but encourage people to process and move beyond this inactive position. It takes real courage and strength to pick ourselves up and keep moving, searching for a path forward. Much of my art has been meditations on the pain of sudden perspective change, disorientation, facing fear and anger and then moving onward.
I have compassion for burned out, broken-hearted people barely standing under the weight of our failing global economic system, our rapidly changing environment and dwindling resources. I recognize humanity's uncertainties, harmful indulgences, hypocrisies, self-righteous indignation, sacrifice, self-doubt, denial and justifications. I solute the overworked and under payed, all their disorganization and painful adjustments, all their sacrifice, all their scrambling for time, their quick years and the never ending minutes.
We are painfully aware of a looming cliff and a toxic culture, but the sad thing is we are still human and still navigating all its mundane difficulties. But now we also carry the crushing pain of knowing, but hopefully also the integrity to react effectively.
I recognize that many people I know and respect are on a teeter-totter of dawning realization of the immediacy of global climate changes' impact. On one end, there is denial over the severity of the situation, the immediacy of its threat and the need to respond on a personal and massive scale. Teetering from this place of denial, many swing to full awareness then plunge into being totally overwhelmed and hopeless in the face of the enormity of it all, while thoughtlessly deeming all humanity doomed.
People need to work through this painful stage of awakening and grieving. I empathize with this teeter-totter but encourage people to process and move beyond this inactive position. It takes real courage and strength to pick ourselves up and keep moving, searching for a path forward. Much of my art has been meditations on the pain of sudden perspective change, disorientation, facing fear and anger and then moving onward.
I have compassion for burned out, broken-hearted people barely standing under the weight of our failing global economic system, our rapidly changing environment and dwindling resources. I recognize humanity's uncertainties, harmful indulgences, hypocrisies, self-righteous indignation, sacrifice, self-doubt, denial and justifications. I solute the overworked and under payed, all their disorganization and painful adjustments, all their sacrifice, all their scrambling for time, their quick years and the never ending minutes.
We are painfully aware of a looming cliff and a toxic culture, but the sad thing is we are still human and still navigating all its mundane difficulties. But now we also carry the crushing pain of knowing, but hopefully also the integrity to react effectively.
Soldier, 2009.
Changing Perspective: I cut two guardian angels, one for my friend Kate Bowers and another for her friend who was enlisted in the Navy and stationed in Iraq. Kate, a long time peace activist, was asking for gifts of encouragement and support for this friend who was growing increasingly uncomfortable with his role in the war. It was a strange, unintentional coincidence that when I flipped the angel cutting upside down it revealed a grinning demon's face.
What a beautiful metaphor. So often we get going in a direction with the best of intentions. I'm sure this Navy man had some very noble ideas in mind when he started on his path, but suddenly it no longer made sense to him, and the moral terrain was no longer as simple as it once had been.
I know this is a fairly common theme in our individual lives, but now we are experiencing this on the societal level:
What a beautiful metaphor. So often we get going in a direction with the best of intentions. I'm sure this Navy man had some very noble ideas in mind when he started on his path, but suddenly it no longer made sense to him, and the moral terrain was no longer as simple as it once had been.
I know this is a fairly common theme in our individual lives, but now we are experiencing this on the societal level:
- Civilization must now reevaluate the myth of progress. Is civilization getting better as it gets more complex? No.
- Is it easy to understand that the entire framework that we use to navigate life, our value system, is no longer trustworthy? No.